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Consumption and Society

Module description

In this module we explore how the contemporary social self is shaped by its involvement in economic interactions as consumer and how the changes in the world of shopping represent social change in general. The module will introduce key theories of consumerism and consumer culture. In addition to looking at such issues as the evolution of consumer culture, the relationship between the self and the objects of consumption, we will look at characteristic features of consumerism such as advertising, examine different sites and spaces of consumption such as the shopping centre and the internet, and study major fields of consumption, such as fashion.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will provide you with an understanding of a distinctive characteristic of developed capitalist societies, namely the central role that consumption plays in the reproduction of social class and the construction of individual identities. The module will enable you to analyse and interpret the ways that consumption itself and the discourse of consumerism pervade all aspects of contemporary social life.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate competence in working with diverse theoretical and empirical approaches to consumerism;
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge of some of the recent developments in the world consumption from a sociological and/or social anthropological perspective;
• 3. Demonstrate a foundational understanding of how subjectivities are constructed through and performed in consumption;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Demonstrate an analytical understanding of Sociology and/or Anthropology, taking into account different sociological and anthropological perspectives, some modes of social analysis and some of their concomitant theoretical and conceptual frameworks;
• 5. Demonstrate a foundational ability to conceptualise social, cultural, psychological and personal issues in a specifically sociological and/or anthropological manner;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Develop and deploy argument, grounded in theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence;
• 7. Identify problems of reliability and bias in empirical evidence;
• 8. Demonstrate a capacity to focus on and comprehend complex texts, and identify problems of reliability in empirical evidence
• 9. Participate in oral discussions with growing confidence and competence;
• 10. Undertake independent research and capacity to work to deadlines;

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• The rise of consumer culture
• Consumption as distinction
• Consumption and the self
• Sites of consumption
• Advertising
• Consumption and the environment
• Anti-consumerism/alternative consumption

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Slater, Don (1997): Consumer Culture & Modernity, Cambridge: Polity Press. 
McCracken, Grant (1988): Culture and Consumption. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 
Campbell, Colin (1987): The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism. Oxford: Blackwell. 
Miller, Daniel (1998): A Theory of Shopping, Cambridge: Polity. 
Featherstone, Mike (1991): Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, London: Sage.

Key words search

Sociology, Anthropology, Consumer culture, Self, economic interaction